Spray gun for applying granular materials



Oct. 16, 1

L. HALE SPRAY GUN FOR APPLYING GRANULAR MATERIALS Filed Jan. 24, 1949 58 7 E 1% 11% "11H 1 nlg g Gk a ll! a w 1 FIG. 4

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5/ Loren Hole ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 SPRAY GUN FOR APPLYING GRANULAR MATERIALS Loren Hale, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to Stuk-O-Rite, Inc., Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Application January 24, 1949, Serial No. 72,497

3 Claims.

This invention relates to Spray guns for use with coating materials, such as stucco, plaster, paint, etc., or with granular material, such as sand used to sand-blast surfaces for cleaning and other purposes.

The principal object of the invention is to provide spray guns of this character which are eflicient, inexpensive to manufacture, and easily dismembered for cleaning and replacement of worn parts.

Guns made according to the present invention are particularly well adapted, although not limited to use with apparatus for mixing or agitating coating and granular materials disclosed in my copending application for patent filed January 24, 1949, Serial No. 72,498, wherein it is disclosed means for subjecting the material to be sprayed, to air under superatmospheric pressure, and it may be expressed through flexible hose to the gun.

Another object is to provide guns for coating and cleaning purposes, which may be conveniently regulated, by valves, for independently controlling the quantity of material issuing from same and the amount of air delivered to the coating and material for fiufiing or spreading the latter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in central longitudinal section through the gun.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the delivery end portion of the gun.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a material tube of the gun and parts associated therewith assisting in the control and passage of air to the way of the material tube.

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a portion of an air jacket for association with the assembly shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Broadly the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises a straight tube section 6 for conducting material to be sprayed, one end i of which is the delivery end, the tube being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart air ways 8 open to its exterior and interior at a zone adjacent the delivery end I; an air jacket 9 detachably surrounding the tube section 6 and providing a chamber ll] surrounding the zone where the air ways 8 are located, the jacket being provided with an air inlet tube H; means I 2 associated with the jacket 9 and tube section 6 sealing the former to the latter against escape of air from the chamber l0 except through the air ways 8; an annular baffle plate I3 provided with restricted passageways 40 preferably carried by the tube section 6 and interposed between the zone of the air ways 8 and the inlet II whereby air under superatmospheric pressure delivered to the chamber [0 is caused to surround the tube section and attain a substantially uniform pressure in the chamber before finding egress therefrom through the ways 8; a valve l5 for controlling flow of material to the tube section 6; suitable means l6 detachably connecting the valve l5 to the end I! of tube section 6 opposite its delivery end I; a valve I8 for controlling flow of air to chamber I0, detachably secured to the tube II. In Fig. 1 I show a flexible hose l9 for conducting the coating or granular material to the valve I5, and a flexible hose 2!] for conduct ing air to the valve l 8.

The tube section 6 may be made of any durable metal and for practical purposes I have found inch tubing to be suitable for stucco, plaster, heavy emulsions and roof coating containing an asphalt base and fibers, and for sand used in sand-blast work, a tube section having a inch way has been found suitable, heat treated to more eifectively resist the abrasive action of flowing granular material. The air ways 8 may be drilled through the tube wall preferably with their axes converging toward the delivery end I of the tube and the angular relation of these axes to the axis of the tube may be 45. The end I! of the tube section 6 may be externally threaded for connection with the coupling means l6, as shown in Fig. l.

The jacket 9 is preferably made to comprise a. major section 22 and a minor or head section 23 detachably connected together. The major section may consist of a cylindrical portion 24 and an annular head portion 25, the former encircling the tube section 6 at the zone of air ways 8, and the latter having a sliding or telescopic fit around the tube section. The head portion 25 may have an extension 27 shaped at its exterior to provide wrench engaging faces 28, and the upper end of the cylindrical portion may be provided with internal screw threads 29, as shown in Fig. 4, for cooperation with external screw threads 30 on minor section 23. The latter is annular in shape, surrounding the tube section 5 and maybe provided with an extension 3| shaped at its exterior to provide wrench engaging faces 32. The head section 23 and the head portion 25 of major section 23 may be provided with internal frusto-conical surfaces 33 and 34, respectively, for cooperation with means l2 an example of which will be subsequently described. The inlet tube I I may be welded to the cylindrical portion '24 adjacent the head portion 25, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

The means i2 may comprise a first packing unit 38 and a second packing unit 31 each of frusto-conical shape encircling and secured, as by welding, to the tube section 6, in spaced apart relation longitudinally thereof with their conical surfaces facing in opposite directions. The first unit 36 is disposed between the zone of air ways 8 and the delivery end 1 of the tube section, and the second unit 31 is disposed remote from the zone of the air Ways 8 and delivery end i, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. If desired compressible packing members 38 and 3.9 may be interposed-respectively between unit 38 and the surface ,33 of head section 23, .andbetween unit 37 and the surface 34 of :major section 22. Thus, by holding major section 22 againstrotation, as by a wrench engaging opposite faces 28 of the extension 2'1, and a wrench engaging :the opposite faces :32 on minor section :23 for turning the latter, the air jacket 9 may be detachably secured to the tube section '6 in the air tight relationship described.

The baflle i3 is preferably in the form of an annular plate, welded or otherwise secured in encircling relationship to the :tube section 6, be-

tween the ,zone of air ways v8 and the air inlet of jacket 9, the plate being provided with restricted passageways 49 for air, in substantially uniform spaced relation about the baffle, as shown in Fig. -5. The baflie .may also .be shaped at its outer periphery to provide an annular groove 1.4! in which may be disposed a suitable packing ring 42 for intimate contact with the inner surface of cylindricalportion '24 of major section 22.

Thus, in order to gain access to the air ways 8 for cleaning the sections 22 and 23 of the jacket '9 may be disconnected and the major section .22 slid alon the tube section 6 to expose the air ways 8 to view, Or, if the tube section 8 becomes worn so it is not any longer useful, the jacket 9 may be used with a new assembly of tube section '5, its associated packing units 38 and 31, and'bailie plate 1 3.

Any suitable type of valve i5 may be provided. I have found the type shown in Fig. 1 to be very satisfactory, comprising as it does a Y- shaped body portion 43, one branch M of which is detachably connected to hose i9 and the other branch 45 receiving a reciprocable plug-like element 46 normally urged to sweep past the opening of branch 44 by an expansion spring 4'! engaging a cap .48 detachably carried by the free end of branch 45, there bein a stem 49 secured to element 46 and extending through a hole 50 in cap 48, with a thumb nut 5| in screw threaded engagement with the free end of stem 49 and abutting the outer face of cap 48. By rotating nut 5|, the position of plug-like element 45 may be changed to shut off communication of the branch 44 with the valve outlet 54 or open communication to various degrees. The outlet end 5 of the valve is, in the example shown, provided external screw threads 55 for engaging the coupling means 11, which may be an ordinary internally screw threaded pipe coupling.

The valve [8 may be of the type comprisin a needle element 56 cooperating with a conical seat 51 in a valve body 58, the element 56 being moved in any approved manner by a hand Wheel 59. The outlet end 60 of valve I8 is connected to tube II and the inlet end 6|, to hose 20.

It is believed that the operation of the gun will be readily understood from the foregoing description, however, it is pointed out that the air jacket 5? presents a suitable surface to be grasped by one of the hands of an operator to direct the spray of material to the desired location, the other hand preferably grasping the gun in the zone adjacent the valves I5 and i8 and for quick movement to adjust, open or close them.

The baffle plate 13 is of importance since it cooperates with the air ways 8 to enable air under superatmospheric pressure to uniformly fluff, so to speak, the cementitious or coating material reaching the zone of the air ways in a somewhat 'masslike consistency, and to separate granular material reaching the zone of the air ways possibly in small lumps reach comprising several rains adhering to one another.

I claim:

1. A spray gun of the character described, comprising a straight tube sectionfor'conducting material to be sprayed, provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart air ways open to its exterior and interior at-a zoneof'the tube section adjacent its delivery end; an air jacket telescopically arranged on the exterior of said tube section providing achamber surrounding the said zone thereof, said jacket provided with an air inlet; a perforated annular bafile plate positioned in said chamber, surrounding said tube section and interposed between the zone of said air ways and said air inlet and means associated with said jacket and tube section detachably sealing the former to the latter against escape of air from the chamber of the jacket except through said air ways of the tube section.

2. A spray gun of the character described, comprising a straight tube section for conducting material to be sprayed, one end of which is the delivery end, said tube provided with a plurality of circumierentially spaced apart air ways open to its exterior and interior at a zone of the tube section adjacent to its delivery end; first and second packing units encircling and secured to said tube section in spaced apart relation longitudinall-y thereof, said first packing unit disposed between said zone of the air ways and the delivery end of the tube section, and said second packing unit disposed remote from said zone of the air ways and the delivery end of the tube section; an annular bafile plate provided with a plurality of transverse passageways for air in substantially uniform spaced relation, said bafiie plate secured to said tube section at a zone between the zone of said air ways thereof and said second packing unit; and an air jacket surrounding said tube section at the zones of said packing units and bailie plate, said air jacket comprising major and minor sections detachably connected togethenand telescopically arranged on said tube section, said major section comprising a cylindrical portion extending about said packing units and annular baffle plate, and an annular head portion cooperating with said second packing unit to seal the air jacket against egress of air at said head portion of the air jacket, said cylindrical portion provided with an air inlet at its portion located between the zone of said baffle plate and said head portion, whereby air passing through the chamber of said air jacket from said air inlet to said air ways of the tube section must pass through the passageways of the baflie plate, and said minor section cooperat.

ing with said first packing unit to seal the air jacket against egress of air at its other end.

' 3. A spray gun of the character described, comprising a straight tube section for conducting material to be sprayed, one end of which is the delivery end, said tube provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart air ways open to its exterior and interior at a zone of the tube section adjacent to its delivery end; first and second packing units encircling and secured to said tube section in spaced apart relation longitudinally thereof, said first packing unit disposed between said zone of the air way and the delivery end of the tube section, and said second packing unit disposed remote from said zone of the air ways and the delivery end of the tube section; an annular bafile plate provided with a plurality of transverse passageways for air in substantially uniform spaced relation, said bafile plate secured to said tube section at a zone between the zone of said air ways thereof and said second packing unit; and an air jacket surrounding said tube section at the zones of said packing units and bailie plate, said air jacket comprising major and minor sections, detachably connected together and telescopically arranged on said tube section, said major section comprising a cylindrical portion extending about said packing units and annular bafile plate, and an annular head portion cooperating with one of said packing units to seal the air jacket against egress of air at said head portion of the air jacket, said cylindrical portion provided with an air inlet at its portion located between the zone of said baffle plate and said second packing unit whereby air passing through the chamber of the air jacket from said inlet to said air ways of the tube section must pass through the passageways of the baflie plate, and said minor portion of the air jacket cooperating with the other of the packing units to seal the jacket against egress of air at its other end.

LOREN HALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,194,520 Lewis Aug. 15, 1916 1,727,027 Dreisbach Sept. 3, 1929 2,025,974 Fritz Dec. 31, 1935 2,071,472 Fletcher Feb. 23, 1937 2,096,119 Lensch et a1 Oct. 19, 1937 2,231,489 Anderson et a1. Feb. 11, 1941 2,376,616 Oeschle et a1. May 22, 1945 2,410,532 Tessier Nov. 5, 1946 2,436,335 Simonsen Feb. 17, 1947 

